Sony Reader Lives on with Rowling!

[Hellmark]

Originally Posted by DMB

What you don't allow for is that millions of Kindle users are happy with their device and don't want a change to your preference. I have long been part of the Amazon world for book buying and am happy with that. I find the ebooks I want to read there unless they are subject to geographic restrictions. So far I haven't found any that are available in ePub in the UK and not mobi that I want to read. If necessary, I'd be prepared to buy the odd thing in ePub, strip the DRM and convert to mobi, but so far it hasn't been necessary.

Are you terribly inconvenienced by having a device that reads ePub and not mobi? If so, then perhaps you made the wrong choice, despite your view about the superior qualities of ePub.

Amazon is fully able to add epub support to kindle, and not drop mobi support. Hell, Amazon actually made it more difficult for other companies to add mobi support (You're not allowed to have mobi DRM and support for any other DRM platform, due to Mobipocket's license terms). Really, the problem is more for people who want to move away from Amazon, which that number may increase this fall.

[EatingPie]

Originally Posted by Hellmark

Amazon is fully able to add epub support to kindle, and not drop mobi support. Hell, Amazon actually made it more difficult for other companies to add mobi support (You're not allowed to have mobi DRM and support for any other DRM platform, due to Mobipocket's license terms). Really, the problem is more for people who want to move away from Amazon, which that number may increase this fall.

Indeed, they would add ePUB, not replace mobi. It's easy to keep mobi support, just like Sony did with LRF.

I think you're pointing out one of Amazon's greatest motivations to keep mobi. It locks users in, and keeps them in. Even if you crack DRM, there's still only one eReader that can handle mobi. And with every book you buy, you're that much more locked in to Amazon.

-Pie

[Ditchleyportrait]

Originally Posted by EatingPie

Indeed, they would add ePUB, not replace mobi. It's easy to keep mobi support, just like Sony did with LRF.

I think you're pointing out one of Amazon's greatest motivations to keep mobi. It locks users in, and keeps them in. Even if you crack DRM, there's still only one eReader that can handle mobi. And with every book you buy, you're that much more locked in to Amazon.

-Pie

"lock in" isn't silly, i've realized. would suck to be "locked in" to a product down the line just to get at your ebooks.

hopefully amazon keeps making great, affordable readers

maybe more devices will be able to run kindle books in the future.

[Scott Nicholson]

I think it would be hilarious if Kindle, Apple, BN, and Kobo were able to lock out the Potter books. Exclusivity works both ways...

[Elfwreck]

Originally Posted by Scott Nicholson

I think it would be hilarious if Kindle, Apple, BN, and Kobo were able to lock out the Potter books. Exclusivity works both ways...

I don't think they're planning on any kind of exclusivity. The books will be available at the Pottermore site. I think they're also planning on themed Sony readers, which Sony has done before--so you buy a Sony 650, and it comes with a Harry Potter skin and the Harry Potter books already loaded on it. Same price as the other 650s; it gets the HP books instead of their free classics collection, and it won't be sold through stores.

That deal will probably be exclusive to Sony, but it's not like anyone has to buy the device to get the ebooks.

[nashira]

Originally Posted by Scott Nicholson

I think it would be hilarious if Kindle, Apple, BN, and Kobo were able to lock out the Potter books. Exclusivity works both ways...

...How, exactly, is it a good thing if they could stop you from loading your harry potter ebooks? That'd be a lot of big brothering.

[anamardoll]

Originally Posted by Scott Nicholson

I think it would be hilarious if Kindle, Apple, BN, and Kobo were able to lock out the Potter books. Exclusivity works both ways...

IF the HP books are released with non-locking DRM (and with this trace DRM of watermarks) AND in ePub format, then B&N and Kobo and Sony will read the books just fine. All three of those readers support the basic ePub format.

IF the HP books are released with non-locking DRM (and with this trace DRM of watermarks) AND in mobi format, then Amazon and the various PocketBook readers will read the books just fine; those readers support the basic mobi format.

"Exclusivity" does not "work both ways" because all of the readers on the market allow sideloading from other sources than the device's connected store. There is no "lock-out", since non-locking DRM formats can be loaded to the devices at any time, there is only "lock-in" of the our-stores-books-will-only-work-on-our-reader which is quite a different thing altogether.

Having said THAT, the onus is not on device developers to scramble to modify their device if an author wants to institute their own format or DRM scheme. If Rowling announces tomorrow that the books are going to be released in LIT format because it's The Best Format EVAH and with XYZ new DRM because it's Unbreakable (*snort*), then it's A/B/K/S' choice to mod their devices to support the format and DRM in the name of Capitalism, Free Market, and Increased Sales, but it's not their obligation to do so.

[Elfwreck]

Originally Posted by anamardoll

If Rowling announces tomorrow that the books are going to be released in LIT format because it's The Best Format EVAH and with XYZ new DRM because it's Unbreakable (*snort*), then it's A/B/K/S' choice to mod their devices to support the format and DRM in the name of Capitalism, Free Market, and Increased Sales, but it's not their obligation to do so.

I'm voting for TealDoc. Rowling is secretly a fan of PalmOS, and wants it to make a comeback to challenge Apple's iOS.

[EatingPie]

Originally Posted by Scott Nicholson

I think it would be hilarious if Kindle, Apple, BN, and Kobo were able to lock out the Potter books. Exclusivity works both ways...

I'm scratching my head on this one too.

Harry Potter is one of the (if not the) most popular series of the last (and current) century. Why is it "hilarious" to lock people out of reading those books? And how would it benefit Amazon/Apple/B&N? "Hey, you can't read HP on our devices! We are awesome!"

Here's a quote from the PR at theLeakyCauldron.com:

The storyline of the second book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, will go live on the site in early 2012. The Pottermore Shop opens when the site opens to all in October, selling complete ranges of the eBooks and digital audiobooks in a selection of languages, exclusively.

Ranges of ebooks is pretty open to interpretation. I did not find other quotes, but I recall reading that she wanted the books on all Readers. I think she is aware of the lock-in problem and is trying to get around that.

I will bang the drum once more: lock-in is bad because it keeps independent or individual booksellers from cropping up. B&N sells for Nook... period. Amazon sells for Kindle... period. There's no cross-sales. And unless you want to sell DRM-free Kindle/Nook format (which publishers aren't allowing in general), you can't open a store to compete with Amazon or B&N. Very few people have "the goods" to challenge this model, and JKR is the one.

The only "hilarious" thing about lock-out would be the backlash against Apple/Amazon/B&N.

-Pie

[cfrizz]

Agreed, great post!

Originally Posted by EatingPie

I'm scratching my head on this one too.

Harry Potter is one of the (if not the) most popular series of the last (and current) century. Why is it "hilarious" to lock people out of reading those books? And how would it benefit Amazon/Apple/B&N? "Hey, you can't read HP on our devices! We are awesome!"

Here's a quote from the PR at theLeakyCauldron.com:


Ranges of ebooks is pretty open to interpretation. I did not find other quotes, but I recall reading that she wanted the books on all Readers. I think she is aware of the lock-in problem and is trying to get around that.

I will bang the drum once more: lock-in is bad because it keeps independent or individual booksellers from cropping up. B&N sells for Nook... period. Amazon sells for Kindle... period. There's no cross-sales. And unless you want to sell DRM-free Kindle/Nook format (which publishers aren't allowing in general), you can't open a store to compete with Amazon or B&N. Very few people have "the goods" to challenge this model, and JKR is the one.

The only "hilarious" thing about lock-out would be the backlash against Apple/Amazon/B&N.

-Pie

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by Scott Nicholson

I think it would be hilarious if Kindle, Apple, BN, and Kobo were able to lock out the Potter books. Exclusivity works both ways...

Yeah, that would be real funny.


They've already said "We want to make sure anyone who buys it, can read it on any device" so they aren't going to lock out Kindle or anyone else from the sound of things.

[anamardoll]

Originally Posted by EatingPie

I will bang the drum once more: lock-in is bad because it keeps independent or individual booksellers from cropping up. B&N sells for Nook... period. Amazon sells for Kindle... period. There's no cross-sales. And unless you want to sell DRM-free Kindle/Nook format (which publishers aren't allowing in general), you can't open a store to compete with Amazon or B&N. Very few people have "the goods" to challenge this model, and JKR is the one.

The only "hilarious" thing about lock-out would be the backlash against Apple/Amazon/B&N.

-Pie

I'm not a fan of lock-in. But the idea that lock-in is preventing independent booksellers is missing a MAJOR elephant in the room.

The reason independent booksellers can't compete is, imho, solely on the publishers. When you have a set price that eBooks can ONLY be sold at, and no coupons or sales on the part of the seller, then there can be no competition between stores.

What can an independent store offer that Amazon can't? Well, intangibles. A nicer storefront, maybe. Better customer service, possibly. But prices and availability are usually what determines a stores' consumer base, and indie stores ALWAYS have to drop "availability" as an option, because smaller stores means a smaller catalog.

Smaller stores are currently offering DRM-free options (Baen), niche appeal (Baen again), indie author (Smashwords), and coupons (Fictionwise, Kobo). But they can only do so much with agency books.

The idea that if lock-in ended tomorrow and B&N books could be read on Amazon devices and vice versa somehow affecting the indie situation at all is very strange to me, to say the least.

[EatingPie]

Originally Posted by anamardoll

The idea that if lock-in ended tomorrow and B&N books could be read on Amazon devices and vice versa somehow affecting the indie situation at all is very strange to me, to say the least.

Well, as we've both demonstrated, we disagree on the affect lock-in has in terms of the price fixing.

As I stated above, "Because of lock-in, none of these stores [Amazon/B&N] has a reason to go against price fixing.... Since they have no competition, they don't have to fight against the price fixing."

If lock in ended, B&N and Amazon would compete for book sales again. The one sticking point for ebook sales competition is price fixing. Suddenly, there's motivation to get rid of that sticking point: more potential sales in an sub-market they couldn't sell to before!

That is why I think ending lock-in would lead to the end of price fixing... which would ultimately benefit small stores as well.

-Pie

[anamardoll]

Originally Posted by EatingPie

Well, as we've both demonstrated, we disagree on the affect lock-in has in terms of the price fixing.

As I stated above, "Because of lock-in, none of these stores [Amazon/B&N] has a reason to go against price fixing.... Since they have no competition, they don't have to fight against the price fixing."

If lock in ended, B&N and Amazon would compete for book sales again. The one sticking point for ebook sales competition is price fixing. Suddenly, there's motivation to get rid of that sticking point: more potential sales in an sub-market they couldn't sell to before!

That is why I think ending lock-in would lead to the end of price fixing... which would ultimately benefit small stores as well.

-Pie

Everything I've seen is that Amazon is already fighting the price fixing as much as they could. They WANT that $9.99 baseline price. They've literally changed the reviewing rules to allow Kindle bombing where it was against the TOS before, that's how much they hate the Agency price fixing.

We'll have to agree to disagree on your assertion that A/B/K/S like the price fixing just fine. I do not think they like it at all, and I think they've done the best they can to fight it under the circumstances.

[JSWolf]

The thing with lock-in (using amazon & B&N as examples) is that since the two devices do not read the other's format, it's a matter then of trying to get the customer to buy your device. How do you do that? Lower prices and customer experience are two ways to do it.

If you can give the customer a better experience with a similar device, then you may get the sales. Once the customer has your device and enough eBooks, then the customer is not going to jump ship for the other device won't read the eBooks and you have lost your purchases. So if you bought a Kindle and now think the new nook is better, you can't sell off the Kindle and buy the nook as your Kindle eBooks are not going to work. This is why pricing is important. With pricing being the same, it comes down more to the device then anything else.